[Introduced February 19, 2013; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §61-2-15a of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to increasing the criminal
penalties for assaults and batteries against athletic
officials.Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §61-2-15a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:ARTICLE 2. CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON.
§61-2-15a. Assault, battery on athletic officials; penalties.
(a) If any person commits an assault as defined in subsection
(b), section nine of this article, to the person of an athletic
official during the time the official is acting as an athletic
official, the offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50 nor more than
$100, and imprisonedconfined in the county jail not less than
twenty-four hoursfive days nor more than thirty dayssix months.
(b) If any person commits a battery, as defined in subsection
(c), section nine of this article, against an athletic official
during the time the official is acting as an athletic official, the
offender is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500, and
imprisonedconfined in the county jail not less than twenty-four
hoursten days nor more than thirty daystwelve months.
(c) For the purpose of this section, "athletic official" means
a person at a sports event who enforces the rules of that event,
such as an umpire or referee, or a person who supervises the
participants, such as a coach.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the criminal
penalties for assaults and batteries against athletic officials.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.